Just picked up "Anansi Boys", the sorta-sequel to his "American Gods". Normally, I don't pick up hardcovers (books aren't sacred to me, hell, I write notes in all of mine) but buying the hard cover also gave me tix to see the Neil, live and in person, on Sept. 30th. Gonna miss a big Friday tip night at the bar, but I think an hour or so spent with Neil "Mr. Scary Pants" Gaiman is well worth it.

So feel free to discuss his works, Sandman, American Gods, Neverwhere et.al.. C'mon, I can't be the only Gaiman geek up in the Zone, can I?

Personally, I'm an atheist in the voting booth and a theist in the movie theatre. I separate the morality of religion with the spirituality and solace of it. There is something boring about atheism.

Check this out: An article about how Portland is becoming "Toontown", dropped this bit of info about a Gaiman adaptation:

Selick is a proponent of the idea that animated features can tell all sorts of stories. They don't need peppy musical numbers, wisecracking animals or to drip with pop culture references, a la the "Shrek" franchise. Telling a story is exactly what Selick's doing with "Coraline," a spooky tale from an award-winning children's book by Neil Gaiman. Selick likes its touch of darkness: A young girl opens a door in her house, walks into a mysterious mirror image of her home and meets her "other" parents -- not to mention rats who climb into pyramid formations and burst into song.

I'm not familiar with "Coraline"... any thoughts? It's being made by Laika Studios (which used to be Vinton Studios).

St. Alphonzo wrote:Check this out: An article about how Portland is becoming "Toontown", dropped this bit of info about a Gaiman adaptation:

Selick is a proponent of the idea that animated features can tell all sorts of stories. They don't need peppy musical numbers, wisecracking animals or to drip with pop culture references, a la the "Shrek" franchise. Telling a story is exactly what Selick's doing with "Coraline," a spooky tale from an award-winning children's book by Neil Gaiman. Selick likes its touch of darkness: A young girl opens a door in her house, walks into a mysterious mirror image of her home and meets her "other" parents -- not to mention rats who climb into pyramid formations and burst into song.

I'm not familiar with "Coraline"... any thoughts? It's being made by Laika Studios (which used to be Vinton Studios).

I know of it, but it's one of Gaiman's books for "young readers", so I've never checked it out. But Selick doing a Gaiman story? Sounds too perfect, a great match of similiar stylists. Any release info?

Personally, I'm an atheist in the voting booth and a theist in the movie theatre. I separate the morality of religion with the spirituality and solace of it. There is something boring about atheism.

Tyrone_Shoelaces wrote:I just picked up a copy of Coraline. I guess I'll have to hurry and read it.

It's good and creepy. I remember thinking that younger kids would find it just flat out scary. Of course, I read it two years or so ago and I kinda forget how it ends. But I think the ending left it open for more, which I thought I read was coming, but I just can't remember and am too lazy to look up.

ThisIsTheGirl wrote:Sandman used to rock my world as a kid - is that comic still going?

Did he do Arkham Asylum, or was that someone else? Anyhoo - I hope you have a great time, keepcool - Gaiman is most certianly The Man.

Sandman closed up shop in '96 , though he's done a bit with the Endless since, including the second Death mini and a wonderful Endless oversize hardcover, Endless Nights a couple of years ago. There's also a short story collection by various authors.

"If we don't believe in freedom of expression for people we despise, we don't believe in it at all." -- Noam Chomsky

Anyway, saw his reading at the First Congregational Church of Berkeley. That's right, Neil Gaiman did his reading, Q & A and signings in a Church. Very funny man, tres droll. Many Tori Amos t-shirts, a few people dressed up in Sandman garb, lots of cute girls, many f@t geeks and lilly white with an occassional Twinkie.

I'm trying to motivate myself to give a review...
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Personally, I'm an atheist in the voting booth and a theist in the movie theatre. I separate the morality of religion with the spirituality and solace of it. There is something boring about atheism.

i really enjoyed AMERICAN GODS and CORALINE (which was clearly written during his translation duties for Mr. Miyazaki as it drips SEN NO CHIHIRO / SPIRITED AWAYness)... also, just picked up a used copy of NEVERWHERE over at the local used book repository... is it good?

also, i was curious about this GOOD OMENS book he did with Terry Prachett. i've never read any Prachett, but i understand he's a big favorite... is this a good book?

Neverwhere is a fun read. Good story, two very memorable villains and a slew of interesting side characters. Not his best, but considering the nexus of the idea was the dreadful BBC Mini-Series, a suprisingly well done novel.

Good Omens I'm afraid I haven't yet read. It's on the "must read now" bookshelf, but I haven't gotten round to it yet. {hangs head in geeky-shame}

Personally, I'm an atheist in the voting booth and a theist in the movie theatre. I separate the morality of religion with the spirituality and solace of it. There is something boring about atheism.

Okay, I've never read anything by Gaiman, but the wife just got done American Gods and told me that I have to read it once I'm done the His Dark Materials trilogy. What else is good? Besides Good Omens, I hear.....

thomasgaffney wrote:Okay, I've never read anything by Gaiman, but the wife just got done American Gods and told me that I have to read it once I'm done the His Dark Materials trilogy. What else is good? Besides Good Omens, I hear.....

You got one cool fucking wife if she's into American Gods.

Get her the Sandman tpb. She should love it.

Personally, I'm an atheist in the voting booth and a theist in the movie theatre. I separate the morality of religion with the spirituality and solace of it. There is something boring about atheism.

If you like Gaimans novels you should also check out his short stories. Theres an excellent collection called Smoke & mirrors. My favorite of his shorter work is his creepy retelling of snow white i Snow, glass, apples.

AMERICAN GODS, in my opinion, is one of the most brilliant novels of the last ten years. Between that novel and his SANDMAN series, Gaiman's sure got a deft hand at turning myth and folklore into fascinating, original works.

Gaiman's American Gods and his Miracle Man run are by far my most favourite works by him.

He's definitely a talented writer, although I have some issues with his approach to his comic work. The issue being he really doesn't have an approach. He just writes pretty words, and leaves the artist to interpret them, which is fine, but I have more admiration for a writer who writes for the medium he's working in. Alan Moore is one who writes knowing the story will be told in pictures, and creates a script with the artist in mind, so that he can put him over, as well at the medium itself.

I met Gaiman at a Q & A and signing and he was a very charming gentleman. He always knew the right thing to say having been asked the same questions for so many years. He talks like he writes.

I really liked Terry Pratchett and Gaiman's Good Omens too, although I couldn't help wondering when Pratchett petered-out and Gaiman took over... How do collaborated novels work anyway? My guess was that Gaiman was the ideas man and Pratchett covered the rambling prose.

Also, I remember Gilliam being touted to direct a movie-version...which would have been something to behold(The Four Bikers of the Apocalypse would just reek Nu-Western cool)/

Gaiman and Pratchett would talk on the phone for hours and plan out a scene, then one would write it and send it to the other who'd do touches on it. Pratchett wrote much of the first half, and Gaiman the second half.

[quote="keepcoolbutcare"]Neverwhere is a fun read. Good story, two very memorable villains and a slew of interesting side characters. Not his best, but considering the nexus of the idea was the dreadful BBC Mini-Series, a suprisingly well done novel.

I don't know if I'd call the BBC mini-series 'dreadful.' More like under-budgeted and poorly acted. But it did flow pretty well for a mini-series and was fun to watch in a B-movie sort of way. Get HBO to remake it with some true Gaiman freakiness and it would be pretty sweet. They did partner with the BBC for Rome...

As for Gaiman, he has a Deadman story coming out in Solo #8, from DC comics. Scheduled for the 28th. The featured artist is Teddy Kristiansen.

ThisIsTheGirl wrote:Sandman used to rock my world as a kid - is that comic still going?

Did he do Arkham Asylum, or was that someone else? Anyhoo - I hope you have a great time, keepcool - Gaiman is most certianly The Man.

Grant Morrison wrote Arkham Asylum.

BD reports that Neil Gaiman's upcoming project is 'The Graveyard Book', described as an update of 'The Jungle Book', only set entirely in a graveyard. The story will be about a young boy who is raised by corpses after his parents tragically die.
Source:
Dark Horizons

Carolian wrote:AMERICAN GODS, in my opinion, is one of the most brilliant novels of the last ten years. Between that novel and his SANDMAN series, Gaiman's sure got a deft hand at turning myth and folklore into fascinating, original works.

Agreed. American Gods is probably my favorite work of contemporary fiction. Neverwhere was also good, but not quite as AG. Coraline was fun, and I could see it working as a children's movie. The possibilities for some extra creepiness is there.

Good Omens, Stardust, and Smoke and Mirrors are on my Christmas list. I have Anansi Boys, but I haven't read it yet.

Gaiman is one of my favorite authors, and I hape they never make an American Gods film, so I can one day have the opportunity to make it.

Colin wrote:You think he's got his finger on the pulse of folklore because he blends ancient tales with contemporary ones remarkably well. Is that a valid compliment? I mean, it takes a bit more than that, right?

I finished Anansi Boys, and it made me want to go back and read American Gods, which I'm going. AG is so layered. My head can't even wrap around the amount of research that must have went into writing it. Great stuff. It seems every character that is named in the book is done so with purpose, and that's pretty cool to me.

I just listened to the unabridged CD of Ananzi Boys with voice actor Lenny Henry as the reader. Henry adds so much to the pleasure of this work: his voice is smooth and melodic when voicing Spider and baffled and wounded as F-A-T Charlie. Henry handles the women's voices beautifully changing from confused Brits to singsong islanders and the gods are all distinct and ferocious in their own right. I especially loved the voice he gave Charlie's overbearing, unctious boss, Graham! Even if you've read the book, Henry's vocal talents will make it seem new and if you haven't read the book, try this CD first and I know you will fall in love with this talented reader and wonderful words given to him.

Especially good for people who find themselves in cars for long periods of time or who can listen while at work (lucky sods!).